Here we go with another edition of the College Dark Phoenix. This week we are going to look at a WR that has big time playmaking ability, a RB that is a tiny terror, and a sophomore QB that can get it done in a shoot-out. This is The College Dark Phoenix where you hear about some great players before they become household names. These guys may be under the radar, but they could be lighting it up for your fantasy teams in the very near future.

Josh Morgan - WR - Virginia Tech Hokies
6'1" 215 lbs. - Sophomore - 219th ranked high school WR when entering college

Josh Morgan was a dependable receiver for H.D. Woodson High School. He played Quarterback, Wide Receiver, and Cornerback and enjoyed success at all 3 positions. During his senior season he had a monster game against Glen Mills High where he had 8 receptions for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns. Morgan was named All-DCIAA East as a wide receiver because of his big playmaking ability. He was also named MVP of 2 tournaments in high school basketball. After high school he attended Fork Union Military Academy. He compiled 845 yards receiving on 33 catches with 8 touchdowns during his stint at FUMA. He was also a special teams standout.

Josh has tremendous athletic ability but is still raw as a wide receiver. He has great body control and can get in and out of his breaks quickly. His movements are very fluid and his stride looks effortless as he has the speed to blast by defenders. He has been working on his conditioning since joining the Hokies. His strength has improved and this has had a huge impact on his ability to avoid the jam at the line of scrimmage. He has a great vertical leap and can make the difficult in the red zone. The biggest concern with Morgan is his consistency. He is still learning the position and is becoming a polished route runner. Morgan needs to give a great effort on every play and never take a down off. Coaches love his ability and are developing his work ethic.

Morgan has been at Virginia Tech since 2004 and already owns a Hokie record. Last season in the Sugar Bowl he had a Tech Bowl record 126 yards receiving on 3 catches, 2 of them going for touchdowns. He clearly has the raw talent to get a shot at the NFL. If he continues to work on his consistency, route running, and effort you could see Morgan moving up the draft boards in 2007. Dating back to high school Josh has always been known as a playmaker. He is a versatile WR that can contribute on special teams as well. Josh Morgan is a player to keep an eye on for the future.

Garrett Wolfe - RB - Northern Illinois Huskies
5'7" 175 lbs. - Junior - unranked high school RB when entering college

Garrett Wolfe has always been a big star despite his small stature. While at River Grove Holy Cross in Chicago Wolfe was an outstanding player and left school holding 11 records. He was a back to back All-State selection in Illinois and during his final two seasons he rushed for 4,311 yards and 56 touchdowns. He was a 3-year letterman and excelled on the track team as well.

Garrett is fast, and I mean crazy fast. He has a gear in the open field that not many people have. In terms of speed he has been compared to a 1965 AC Cobra with a 427 side oiler. For the gear-head challenged that is pretty fast. The most impressive ability Garrett has are his quick feet. Wolfe has very nifty feet and incredible leg drive for a smaller back. He is very elusive and his diminutive stature actually helps him be even harder to see behind the offensive line. Before defenders know it he's in the 2nd level and then it's on. He has great vision and always runs to daylight. When there's nothing to be gained on a run Wolfe can reverse his field and pick up positive yards, or even break a long one. His size keeps him from being much of a force between the tackles although he can lower his head and pick up the tough yards because it's tough to get a clean shot on him. Wolfe excels as a special teams kick/punt returner as well.

Wolfe came to NIU and was the 9th tailback on the depth chart. In his first season for the Huskies he set several team records including single game rushing yards, single season scoring, single game all-purpose yards, single season TDs, consecutive game rushing yards, and consecutive 100-yard games (seven). Needless to say Garrett Wolfe made quite a splash on the college scene in 2004. Even with a subpar passing game and defenses geared specifically to stop him Wolfe has had a great 2005. In 2 seasons he has rushed for over 1,600 yards in each for a total of 3,294 yards with 38 touchdowns. NIU isn't just some small school in the MAC with limited talent. LeShon Johnson and Michael Turner are just 2 of the backs that have ran and ran well for the Huskies. Clearly Wolfe will not be an every down back in the NFL. Despite his size he has been relatively durable having only some shoulder problems and a non-football related eye injury hamper his college career. Garrett Wolfe does have a place in the NFL and we could see him at least be a Darren Sproles type of player. If he adds about 10 pounds to his frame his could turn into a Warrick Dunn type of player. He's not the inside runner that Warrick is, but he has a tremendous work ethic and extraordinary athletic ability.

Kevin O'Connell - QB - San Diego Aztecs
6'6" 220 lbs. - Sophomore - 129th ranked high school QB when entering college

La Costa Canyon High School had a football and basketball standout in Kevin O'Connell. He lost part of his junior season to injury but came back strong with a very solid senior season. He was named the team MVP as well as an All-League, All-North County, and All-San Diego selection. He was a 3 year lettermen in football and a 2 year lettermen in basketball. His father is employed by the FBI, and he took a recruiting trip to Colorado before deciding on San Diego State.

Kevin is a big, strong armed QB that can move around well in the pocket. He has great leadership ability and isn't afraid of a challenge. O'Connell is very adept at rallying his troops and moving the ball against even the toughest defense. He is a tough guy with a solid frame which allows him to take some big shots but he will stay in a game and keep playing. For a big guy he can make plays with his feet and is not just a pocket passer. He is a dual threat QB and he has the ability to slide and throw in open lanes. If the rush is great and he sees some daylight he can also pick up a few yards running and he isn't afraid to put his head down and deliver a blow. His arm strength is more than adequate and he can make all the throws necessary in the NFL. He does tend to rely on his arm strength too much when accuracy is needed and has forced some passes here and there.

O'Connell ended his freshmen season as the team captain. This says a lot about his leadership ability and the respect that he commands in the huddle. He even became the first Aztec QB to rush for over 100 yards and pass for over 200 yards in the same game. This season Kevin has shown steady improvement along with his great leadership ability. His mechanics are sound and his arm strength is NFL-caliber. If O'Connell can become more consistent with his ability to read defenses he could become a great late round gem for a team in the NFL.

That'll do it for this week's edition of The College Dark Phoenix. Be sure to check out The Ones 2 Watch and get the lowdown on the top 15 draft eligible players in the country. Of course we give you nothing but the best at Footballguys.com!